Computer AnimationAnimationTwo main categoriesLow level techniquesHigh level techniquesAbstractionPerception of AnimationsHeritage of AnimationSlide 9Slide 10Slide 11Slide 12Slide 13Slide 14Disney: Animation as an art formMultiplane CameraMGM and Warner Brothers, etc.Other Media AnimationSlide 19Hierachy of film/animationProduction of AnimationComputer Animation as AnimationShort History of Computer AnimationIn Research LabsHistory of Computer AnimationCurrent activity CentersHistory of Film & VideoCurrent CompaniesAnimations that paved the wayPowerPoint PresentationEarly CG in filmMore early CG in filmEarly CG on TVSlide 34ResourcesResources (con’t.)Credits/ResourcesSlide 38Slide 39Character AnimationUtah CG HistoryComputer AnimationAmy GoochCS395: Introduction to Computer AnimationAnimation•Animate = “to give life to”•Specify, directly or indirectly, how ‘thing’ moves in time and space•ToolsTwo main categories•Computer-assisted animation–2D & 2 1/2 D–Inbetweening–Inking, virtual camera, managing data, etc•Computer generated animation–Low level techniques•Precisely specifying motion–High level techniques•Describe general motion behaviorLow level techniques•Shape interpolation (in-betweening)•Have to know what you wantHigh level techniques•Generate motion with set of rules or constraints–Physically based motion http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~job/Projects/SoundGen/video.htmlAbstractionAnimator colors each pixeltoTell computer to “make movie about a dog”Perception of Animations•Playback rate•Sampling or update rate•TV: 30 images/second•Sat Morning Cartoons: –6 different images per second–Each image repeated five timesHeritage of Animation•Persistence of vision: discovered about 1800s–Zoetrope or “wheel of life”–Flip-bookHeritage of Animation•Camera to make lifeless things move–Meleis 1890 using simple tricks–Emil Cohl (1857-1938, French)Heritage of Animation–J. Stuart Blackton (American) •Meet Thomas Edison in 1895–Combine drawing and file: “The Enchanted Drawing”–Six years later: “Humorous Phases of Funny Faces•Animated smoke in 1900; First animated cartoon in 1906QuickTime™ and aYUV420 codec decompressorare needed to see this picture.QuickTime™ and aYUV420 codec decompressorare needed to see this picture.Heritage of Animation•First celebrated Animator–Winsor McCay (American)•Little nemo•Gertie the Dinosaur (1914)QuickTime™ and aYUV420 codec decompressorare needed to see this picture.Heritage of Animation•First major technical development–John Bray /Earl Hurd (1910)–Translucent cels (short for celluloid) in compositing multiple layers–Use of grey scale (as opposed to B&W)–Color short in 1920John Randolph Bray'sColonel Heeza Lair.Heritage of AnimationOut of Bray’s studio•Max Fleischer (Betty Boop,, Popeye)–Patented rotoscoping in 1915–Draing images on cells by tracing over previously recorded live action•Paul Terry (Terrytoons: Mighty Mouse)•George Stallings(?)•Walter Lantz (Woody Woodpecker)Heritage of Animation•Animation as an art form–First animated character with personality•Felix the cat by Otto Messmer (1920s)•Force to reckoned with–Sound and Walt DisneyDisney: Animation as an art form•Innovations–Story board to review story–Pencil sketch to review motion–Multi-plane camera stand–Color (not first to use color)–Sound!•Steamboat Willie (1928)Multiplane Camera•Move scene layers independently of camerahttp://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Club/9199/Animation/Disney_Multiplane.htmlMGM and Warner Brothers, etc.Other Media Animation•Computer animation is often compared to stop motion animation–Puppet animation•Willis O’Brian (King Kong)•Ray Harryhausen (Might joe Yong, Jason and the Argonauts)QuickTime™ and aYUV420 codec decompressorare needed to see this picture.Other Media Animation–Claymation–Pinhead animation–Sand animation•Physical object is manipulated, image captured, repeatHierachy of film/animationPresentationAct SceneShot FrameProduction of Animation•Preliminary story•Story board•Detailed story•Key Frames•Test shot•Pencil test•Inbetweening•Inking•ColoringComputer Animationbasically follows this pipelineComputer Animation as Animation•Lasseter translated principles of animation as articulated by two of Nine Old Men of Disney to computer animation–Lasseter is conventionally trained animator•Worked at Disney before going to Pixar•Many celebrated animations•Knick-knack (oscar-winning)Short History of Computer AnimationIn Research labs•NYITStill frame from Gumby animation by Hank Grebe and Dick Lundin, 1984.In Research Labs•University of Utah–Films on walking and talking figure –Animated hand and animated face (1972)•University of Pennsylvania–Human figure animation (Norm Badler)•Cornell University –architectural walk-throughs (Don Greenberg)History of Computer Animation•1974: Hunger by Rene Jodoin and Peter Foldes–2.5D system, object interpolationCurrent activity Centers•University of Toronto's Computer Science Department•Simon-Fraser University's Graphics and Mulitmedia Research Lab•Georgia Tech's Graphics Visualization and Usability Center•Brown Computer Graphics Group•Ohio State University's ACCAD•Ohio State University's Department of Computer and Information Science•George Washington University Graphics Group•UC San Diego's Department of Computer Science and Engineering•University of North Carolina's Computer Science Department•MIT's Media Lab•MIT's Laboratory for Computer Science•University of Wisconsin at MadisonHistory of Film & Video•Companies–Mathematical Applications Group, Inc. (MAGI)–Information International Inc. (III, or Triple-I)–Digital Production–Digital Effects–Image West–Robert Abel and Associates– Cranston-Csuri.Current Companies•Pixar•Industrial Light and Magic (ILM)•Pacific Data Images (PDI)•Disney•Xaos•Rhythm & Hues•Digital Domain•Lamb & Company•Metrolight Studios•Boss Film Studios• deGraf/Wahrman•R/Greenberg Associates•Blue Sky Productions•Sony Pictures• Cinesite•Imageworks•Apple…. .Animations that paved the wayPixar•Luxo Jr. (1986)–first computer animation to be nominated for an Academy Award•Red's Dream (1987)•Tin Toy (1988)–first computer animation to win an Academy Award•Knick Knack (1989)Early CG in film–Future World (1976)–Star Wars